Gerben Scherpbier joined The Trustees in 2023 as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO. Prior to joining The Trustees, Gerben served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, where he worked on projects such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Strategic Readiness Initiative, EEA’s COVID-19 response efforts, and the creation of the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation. He also served the Commonwealth as Director of Strategic Innovation in the Office of the Governor.
Gerben previously worked as the Youth Programs Manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club, where he focused on partnering with over 150 schools and non-profits throughout New England to support youth access to the outdoors through trips and trainings. He also worked on the development of a Youth Conservation Advocacy Course in partnership with The Wilderness Society. Before his work with the AMC, Gerben worked for the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park, first as a supervisor with the Youth Conservation Corps and then as a backcountry ranger, where he got to patrol via horseback, canoe, kayak, and on foot.
Gerben received his master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA in Environmental Earth Sciences and Economics from Dartmouth College. Outside of The Trustees, Gerben is a Registered Maine Guide leading sea kayak tours, a wilderness emergency medicine instructor, and an EMT. Gerben is the Vice Chair for Teens to Trails, a nonprofit focused on youth outdoor access through the development of outdoor clubs in Maine middle and high schools.
